Category: Amazing Things

Amazing Things, The History of Texas13 Comments

White Stone – The Forgotten Little Town

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Back in the 50s and 60s there was a community that I well remember. It was a suburb of Cedar Park. Of course in those days, Cedar Park really wasn’t big enough to have a suburb. Shortly after you turned west on FM 1431 off of US 183 (of course in those days there wasn’t a FM 1431 going east) you would start to see little shanty houses along the highway and out across the railroad track. All the houses were white. Not necessarily painted white, but covered in white dust. The scrub oak trees were all layered with a … Continue reading White Stone – The Forgotten Little Town

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

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The 60s were a different time than now when it comes to the horse power of trucks. Today our trucks operate in the range of 500 to 600 horsepower. Back then the common range was 180 to 250 HP. We still hauled equally heavy loads over the same roads as today. Trucks were used much longer and maintained must less rigorously than by today’s standards. It was common for when we were hauling a heavy dozer in hillier areas for me to go ahead in a pickup to assist. When we knew there was a grade too steep coming up, … Continue reading The Adventures Of Driving Under-Powered Trucks

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., My Friends, Thoughts and Musings, TravelsLeave a comment

A Thought Occurred To Me Today, Just As It Does Every Time I Leave Out of Llano And Head Up To Brady

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I had graduated from high school shortly before, so this would have been an afternoon in the summer of 1970. I had landed the best gig I thought anyone possibly could. I was getting to drive a cattle truck for the Wenmohs Ranch. Joe Wenmohs only had one cattle truck at the time, a Ford Cabover that was turned up to where it would run with almost anything out on the highways. That tractor was hooked up to a 52’ triple deck Wilson aluminum trailer. That truck primarily ran from the Wenmohs Ranch out by Blue Lake, Llano County, to … Continue reading A Thought Occurred To Me Today, Just As It Does Every Time I Leave Out of Llano And Head Up To Brady

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Man in the Little 4 Foot Wide Watch Repair Shop

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We were driving down Guadalupe by the State Hospital a while back. I glanced over to see something I hadn’t thought about in years. The tiny watch repair shop. As a small boy I had been there several times with my mother to drop off or pickup a watch. Back in an earlier day (the early 60s) watches needed repairing, cleaning or adjusting pretty often. I guess I was puzzled by not only how small the place was, but how the watch fixer was able to get into such a small place. Then one day we arrived at about the … Continue reading The Man in the Little 4 Foot Wide Watch Repair Shop

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Texas History, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Woodsboro, Texas

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it was the summer of 1961. I would turn 9 in late August. An engineering firm from Austin, Marvin Turner Engineers sent my dad down as the Chief Inspector for a project to upgrade the water and sewer systems for the City of Woodsboro. There were pipes being laid all over town, the wastewater plant was upgraded and the water tower was being sandblasted and repainted. Our family, well my mother, brother and I went down to spend the summer with him as it was a very active time and required him to be there all the time. While all … Continue reading Woodsboro, Texas

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, The Construction Biz, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Is It A Lighthouse ?

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This very unique water tower/standpipe is located on a hill top above Mansfield Dam, overlooking Lake Travis. I think it is sitting atop of McCormick Mt. Besides being a good looking specimen, it is special to me in another way. My company had the contract to build this structure in about 1986 or 1987. We hired a tank builder to actually construct the welded tank, while we performed all the associated work. It would have looked more like the last picture when we completed it (blue plain tank). One day, several years ago, I was driving down Highway 620 and … Continue reading Is It A Lighthouse ?

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, The Construction BizLeave a comment

North Austin Water Reservoir

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Not all Water Storage Facilities are Towers. They don’t really tower at all. This particular one only rises above ground level approximately 6′ but much more of it is below ground. It sets on the west side North Lamar at FM 2222, across the street from the Main Headquarters of Texas DPS. It is one of the older water storage and pumping facilities in use in Austin. The second picture is about the only clear view where one can see it. The rest of the perimeter has tall shrubs planted that obscures the view of it. Continue reading North Austin Water Reservoir

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction BizLeave a comment

Martin Hill Reservoir – City of Austin’s Water Utility

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West of Loop 1 at Shoreline Dr. (north end of Mopac) This is the largest steel potable water tank in the US. (or it was not long ago) It’s capacity is 34 million gallons. It is 260′ in diameter, 120′ high (in the center) and 80′ at the edges.It covers 53,000 sf in area. It is a landmark that can be seen for miles and miles away on approach into Austin by air. . I always wondered where the name Martin Hill originated. After posting recently about Austin White Lime, the name AF Martin jumped out at me, the original … Continue reading Martin Hill Reservoir – City of Austin’s Water Utility

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction Biz, The History of Texas, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Austin White Lime – Austin, Texas

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Strange how much of it doesn’t look so much different 134 years later. I was informed that Austin White Lime ceased producing products in August 2024 and preparations are being made to get the property ready for its next life. HISTORY – Austin White Lime Company, Ltd. was founded in 1888 as Martin and Walker, with A.F. Martin serving as president and proprietor. Around 1891, the company become officially known as Austin White Lime Company, Ltd. The company quickly gained a reputation for manufacturing quality products and was recognized in prominent publications for that time. The Industrial Advantages of Austin, … Continue reading Austin White Lime – Austin, Texas

Amazing Things, In and Around Austin, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Construction Biz, The History of TexasLeave a comment

Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX)

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Edwin “Ned” deSteiguer Snead(1929 – 2015) (The following is excerpted from his obituary) In 1992, at an age when most men are retiring, Ned created Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX). GREX is a rail services company providing the railroads with specialty equipment and innovative technological products and services to maintain and repair track all over North America. Much of the equipment that GREX uses was invented and patented by Ned, including the DUMP TRAIN, a train that unloads itself by way of a conveyor belt running the length of the train. Also unique to GREX is the SLOT MACHINE, ballast … Continue reading Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX)